Defending champ Jordan Spieth has company at the top after first day of U.S. Junior Amateur

Adam Bird | The Grand Rapids PressJordan Spieth of Dallas and his caddy study a putt Monday at Egypt Valley Country Club during first-round action of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

ADA -- Defending champion Jordan Spieth of Dallas, Stephen Behr of Florence, S.C., and Davis Womble of High Point, N.C., played practice rounds over the weekend and figured even-par would be a pretty good score at Egypt Valley Country Club.

Thanks to a little rain Sunday afternoon -- and a lack of wind and pleasant temperatures Monday -- the trio of young golfers passed par in a hurry and shot 5-under 67s to set the pacethrough the first day of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

"A couple days ago, I thought it was going to be really, really difficult," said Spieth, who finished in a tie for 16th at the PGA Tour's Byron Nelson Classic this summer.

"It is an awesome golf course. I feel comfortable on it, but it makes you hit every shot. It was just perfect scoring conditions today."

Spieth, 16 and committed to the University of Texas, made five birdies and missed just two greens and two fairways.

"I was just very steady, and that will be the game plan," Spieth said.

Behr, 17, is a South Carolina state high school champion and the South Carolina Junior champion this summer. He said he could tell on the front nine that the course had changed from the practice rounds over the weekend.

"The rain made the greens more receptive. There was a little light breeze, and it was just enjoyable to play out there," Behr said. "Plus, the course out there is just perfect. It almost feels like you can't hit a bad shot when you have perfect fairways."

Behr, who has committed to play college golf in 2011 for Clemson University, had seven birdies against two bogeys.

FIRST-ROUND LEADERS

• Jordan Spieth, Dallas, 67

• Stephen Behr, Florence, S.C. 67

• Davis Womble, High Point, N.C. 67

• Wyndham Clark, Denver, 68

• Curtis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla., 68

• Bobby Wyatt, Mobile, Ala. 68

• Shugo Imahira, Bradenton, Fla., 68

Womble, 16 and playing in his first U.S. Junior, played the back nine first and made five birdies in a 31.

He said iron shots were not holding on greens when he played Saturday in a practice round, but the rain changed things.

"The greens were so firm Saturday, everything would roll through," Womble said. "Today, you could hit long irons into the green and stop them. It played a whole lot easier, I thought."

The lead trio was followed by four golfers who shot 68, including top-ranked junior Bobby Wyatt of Mobile, Ala., Wyndham Clark of Greenwood Village, Colo., Shugo Imahira of Bradenton, Fla., and Curtis Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla.

Thompson is the younger brother of PGA Tour player Nicholas Thompson and the older brother of 2008 U.S. Girls Junior champion Alexis, who is 15, has turned professional and tied for 10th at the recent U.S. Women's Open.

The scoring was easier than predicted, with 30 players turning in scores under par 72.

The field of 156 plays 18 more holes of stroke play Tuesday to determine the low 64 scorers that will make up the match play bracket. Match play through Saturday will determine the champion.

The 64th spot fell at 74 through one round.

The starting field ended up with two Michigan players on board after Matthew Ross of Hartland, Wis., withdrew Monday.

Alex Jones of DeWitt state championship high school team had earned alternate status in the recent local sectional at Cascade Hills Country Club and was on the grounds and ready to play. He shot 73.

Brian Burt of Holt opened with a 76.

U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR

Where: Egypt Valley Country Club, 7333 Knapp St. NE

Admission: Free

Tuesday: Second round of stroke play. Low 64 scorers make match play bracket.

Wednesday: Single round of 32 matches.

Street closure Due to an unanticipated road-closing starting Thursday, access to the free shuttle parking lot for spectators and volunteers at Forest Hills Eastern High School will be only from Pettis Avenue, south of Knapp Street. There will be no access to Pettis from Knapp Street, however. Access Pettis from Fulton Street in Ada, Conservation Street off Honey Creek Avenue or Two Mile Road off Honey Creek.

International eventThe 156 golfers in the starting field hail from 42 states and five foreign countries, including Saudi Arabia and Korea. A total of 2,821 golfers entered the tournament via sectional qualifying.

Wings of eaglesSeven players recorded eagles in their rounds, including two who made eagle-2s on par-4 holes. Zach Yinger of Sidney, Ohio, holed out an approach shot on No. 1 for eagle, while shooting a 75. He later was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

Zachery Wright had the other eagle-2 on the 18th hole. He dropped a wedge shot in from the fairway in a 73.

The remaining five eagles were eagle-3s on par-5 holes.

Shugo Imahira of Bradenton, Fla., and Sam Straka of Valdosta, Ga., each made eagle on the seventh hole. Bryson Dechamdeau of Clovis, Ga., and Michael Gellerman of Sterling, Kan., eagled No. 13. And Brian Jung of Ontario, Canada, had the only eagle on the 17th hole.

The youngestThe youngest player in the field is 13-year-old William Zalatoris of Plano, Texas. He edged out 13-year-old Peter Mathison of Jupiter, Fla., by 21 days. Zalatoris shot 73, and Mathison shot 75.

Let's play hockeyGrayson Murray of Raleigh, N.C., requested a host family and was matched up with Egypt Valley member Mike Knuble, who plays for the NHL's Washington Capitals. Knuble also was the speaker at the Players' Dinner on Sunday night.

Long bombCody Proveaux, 16 and the recent winner of the South Carolina Match Play amateur championship, rolled in a 50-foot putt on the ninth hole, his last hole of the day for par. It saved his 69.

Proveaux said he just wants to get into match play. where he has had a lot of success this summer.

"I love match play," he said.

Slow-play penaltiesTwo players in the first group off the front nine were penalized for slow-play violations in the first round. The group took more than 4 1/2 hours to play the round. Slow play penalties are rare for a lead group.

By the numbers

627 -- Stitches 17-year-old Charlie Saxon of Tulsa, Okla., had as a first-grader when he put his arm through a window.

720 -- Score for Stephen Behr of Florence, S.C., on the math portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). He has verbally committed to play golf for Clemson University.